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Friday, October 26, 2012

Best Brownies Ever aka Slutty Brownies

I am so deliriously happy that today is Friday.

It has been one of the longest weeks that I have experienced as a mommy. My husband has been away all week long at a work conference in Texas and Elena and I are so looking forward to having him back home. The awesome upside to being single mom for the week: I had the entire King bed to myself. I ate whatever I wanted for dinner like something simple like cereal or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Plus, I got to watch plenty of sappy and over dramatic teenage drama like Dawson's Creek. I remember watching this show during my early college years and I don't think I ever finished watching the show.

The horrible downside to being a single mom for a week: missing the extra helping hand especially when Elena was throwing a temper tantrum. I gave her peas for dinner last night, and she threw the biggest hissy fit. She absolutely hated it, and it probably seemed like forever to her when I was prepping a new bowl of food. Eric would have been there to entertain there, coo her worries away or made sure she liked her peas.

One of the best things that I had managed to do this week was have dinner at my girlfriend's house. She was making a pinterest-inspired meal and I offered to bring dessert. I had made these sinfully delicious brownies before and I had a box of Blizzard Oreos that I had wanted to use in the recipe. Everyone was instantly smitten with the Slutty brownie because it was the trifecta of everything glorious: chocolate chip cookies, Oreos and brownie all rolled into one. They should be really called the best brownies ever and not Slutty Brownies, but it seems to be a clever and playful name that makes everyone eat at least two! Plus, I had managed to save a plateful for myself to enjoy during those painful lonely single mommy nights, double win.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13x9 baking pan with aluminum foil, long enough to allow for overhang on the sides. Coat with cooking spray. Set aside.

Prepare the brownie mix according to the manufacturer's directions.

Prepare the cookie dough. In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until combined, scrape down sides as needed with a spatula. Add the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder and mix until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Layer the baking pan with the prepared cookie dough. Press down to make sure it's evenly layered. Layer the oreos on the top, enough to fill it completely. Pour the brownie batter on top of the oreos in an even layer.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. If the toothpick comes out wet from brownie batter, cook for another 5 minutes more. Let brownies rest in pan for at least 1 hour before transferring to a cooling rack. Cut into squares with a serrated knife and enjoy immediately. Make sure to have a large glass of milk nearby.

Yield: 24 brownies

Review: Ahhhhh-mazing. There are plenty of variations of the Oreo available to use, the fudge covered oreos, the vanilla flavored oreos, or Blizzard Oreos. The possibilities are endless, or if you are not a fan of Oreos you could substitute your favorite candy bar like Snickers, Reese's Peanut butter Cups, or whatever you are craving. Just be warned that you will be madly addicted to the best brownie ever.

Elena News: We took her to the Pumpkin Patch last weekend, and she loved it. Of course I wanted to take pictures in her Halloween costume. Sadly, she refused to smile for the camera because she was too busy staring at all the pumpkins and kiddos that were there. It was a nice family activity that I foresee us taking part every year.